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ICRW’s Neha Sethi writes about mentors who are integral to the PAGE program, a program based in South and East Delhi that empowers girls and gives them necessary confidence and employability skills to pursue personal and professional goals.

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In early March, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon released a distressing new report that showed that 35 percent of women worldwide—that’s one in every three women—have experienced some form of violence in her lifetime. The report also found that one in ten girls under the age of 18 was forced…Read more

It Begins with Girls

ICRW celebrates new government and private sector investments in girls

Thursday, October 11th, 2012

In celebration of the first International Day of the Girl, the U.S. government and major corporations made landmark commitments to girls around the world by investing in initiatives to prevent child marriage and to ensure that every girl has a chance to finish school.

I couldn’t be more thrilled about this new development announced this week by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. It represents what we’ve known all along at ICRW: Evidence shows that investing in girls worldwide yields critical development dividends in health, education and economic advancement. Girls are the entry point – creating a more prosperous and equitable world begins with supporting them as they grow into adulthood.

As co-chair of Girls Not Brides, ICRW is particularly pleased to see that the new commitments feature a strong focus on child marriage, a practice ICRW has been addressing for nearly two decades. The support of the U.S. government and private donors like the Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation and MasterCard Foundation is a powerful signal to the girls of the world that they matter.

And these girls – whether they’re vulnerable to early marriage or already married – need to know they are not forgotten.

In many poor, rural communities where child marriage is common, girls become women far too quickly. Early marriage leads to early childbearing, before girls’ bodies have fully developed. Early sexual initiation spells psychological trauma and increased risk for sexually-transmitted infections, complications from childbirth and even death for the young mother or her baby. Child brides are more likely to leave school early, compromising their education and economic potential. It is a vicious cycle, but one that can be broken.

This challenge is global in scale and severe in impact, but with political will and sustained investments, it is solvable. At ICRW, we have mapped successful solutions to end child marriage. We can prevent child marriage by empowering girls to have a longer, safer and more fulfilling childhood – where they go to school, play with friends, volunteer in their communities and develop their potential as productive citizens. We can ensure that this is the last generation of child brides.

The new commitments to improving girls’ lives are an important step forward, but we have a ways to go. A paltry portion of our foreign assistance dollars is directed to the world’s girls. We need targeted investments in programs for girls at risk of child marriage and girls who are already married. But for investments to have a lasting impact we need to build the evidence on what works for girls and ensure our programs and policies are tailored accordingly. More research is needed, for example, on how marriage and pregnancy prevent girls from attending secondary school. And we need more evaluation of how programs that improve girls’ access to education can help delay marriage and childbearing.

At least 10 millions girls are forced to marry each year. Now is the time to ask our leaders to support policies and programs that give girls worldwide a chance to make their own choices. Choices like whom to marry. When to marry. And who they want to be when they grow up.

Let’s turn these just-announced landmark commitments into a new reality for girls everywhere.

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About Sarah Degnan Kambou

President, ICRW

As the President of the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), Dr. Sarah Degnan Kambou leads a global research institute that focuses on realizing women’s empowerment and gender equality to alleviate poverty worldwide. Her expertise centers on sexual and reproductive health, HIV and AIDS, and adolescent health and livelihoods. Sarah has served as a technical advisor to multilaterals, leading corporations and governments seeking to integrate gender into policies, programs and services that will advance the status of women and girls around the world. She has worked for nearly 30 years in Asia, Eastern Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa, including nearly 12 years at ICRW.

ICRW is an Organization You Can Trust: In 2012, over 93% of ICRW's annual operating expenses were used to directly support research and programs to benefit women and girls in developing countries.

ICRW is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.DONATE.

ICRW received a 4-star rating for sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency, the highest rating from Charity Navigator.ICRW is also certified as a Best in America charity and is a Member of Global Impact, an alliance of 80 U.S.-based International Development organizations.